Stats reveal Thiago Silva’s consistent form at Chelsea and Fluminense | OneFootball

To the surprise of many FC Porto fans, Thiago Silva was presented this Saturday on a free transfer, unexpectedly returning to the club twenty years later. After a successful career at clubs like Milan, Paris Saint-Germain, and Chelsea, the Brazilian international returns to Portugal to finally make his debut in FC Porto's first team – until now, he had only worn the jersey of the B team.

But what concrete contribution can Thiago Silva offer at 41 years old, after a year and a half with Fluminense? Based on Sofascore statistics, we analyzed whether there was any competitive decline between his last season at Chelsea (2023/24) and his time at Fluminense, taking into account the player's individual records.

When observing the main defensive metrics, there is generally a continuity in performance between Chelsea and Fluminense. Still, FC Porto will have to manage an unknown – which we will explain later.

Brazil: dominance in clearances and duels, but hindered by injuries

After two decades in Europe, during which FC Porto was an entry point, the center-back returned to Brazil in 2024 to represent Fluminense, then holders of the Copa Libertadores. His debut, on July 22, against Cuiabá led by Petit, came at a difficult time for the team, which was going through a series of ten games without a win; interestingly, they won 1-0 in that first challenge with Thiago Silva on the field.

The club's results were inconsistent: under the direction of Mano Menezes, Fluminense finished the Brasileirão in 13th place and reached the quarter-finals of the Libertadores. In 2025, the team rose to fifth place in the championship, but instability remained on the bench, with Renato Gaúcho and Luis Zubeldia succeeding Mano Menezes. Whenever available, Thiago Silva played a significant role.

The defender participated in 25 of the 38 possible matches in the Brasileirão and suffered three interruptions in his performance due to injuries throughout this year, having missed a total of 20 games in all competitions – possibly the main risk of this signing. Still, the numbers from his period in the Brazilian first division are positive.

In more than half of the matches (53 percent), no goals were conceded. On average per game, he recorded 5.3 clearances, 3.0 ball recoveries, and won 64.9 percent of duels. In other defensive indicators, he presented 0.8 interceptions and 0.6 tackles per match.

In clean defense, Thiago Silva stood out: in these 40 games, he did not commit any errors that resulted in a goal or a penalty. He accumulated only three yellow cards and no red cards, even in the demanding environment of Brazilian football. His average score on Sofascore was 7.16.

England: more games, more ball recoveries and… more goals conceded

To contextualize, we went back to his time in English football. How do these numbers in the Brasileirão compare with those obtained in the Premier League, considered by many to be the best league in the world?

In 2023/24, Thiago Silva missed only five games due to injury. For Chelsea, he played 31 matches in the Premier League, 28 of them as a starter. In only six of those matches did the team manage to keep a clean sheet; it's worth noting the collective weight – Chelsea, coached by Mauricio Pochettino at the time, finished the season in sixth place.

The average per game was 4.5 ball recoveries and 4.8 clearances, with this last parameter placing him among the top nine in the competition. He won about two-thirds of the duels he contested in each match – 64 percent.

He recorded 0.8 interceptions and 0.9 tackles per game, committing only one error that resulted in a goal. He also maintained an exemplary disciplinary conduct: no penalties conceded, four yellow cards, and no red cards. His average rating on Sofascore was 7.07.

The numbers from both Brazil and England point to continuity in performance: Thiago Silva recovers more balls in the Brasileirão, slightly more tackles, but makes fewer clearances and maintains the same number of interceptions. On the disciplinary front, he remains impeccable and avoids decisive mistakes.

Conclusion: despite the competitive differences between Brazil and England, the data do not show a clear statistical decline, and in this context, it would be an attractive signing made on a free transfer. It remains for FC Porto's medical department to monitor the injury history.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.